How to Choose Conveyor Rollers
16th May 2019
Conveyor Load Type
The first step in choosing the best conveyor rollers for your application is to select based on your load. For example, if your loads include firm, flat bottoms (e.g., skids, totes, cartons, firm bags, drums) you need a conveyor with gravity rollers.
Roller Material: Aluminum, Steel, or Both?
Next, decide on what type of roller material will best suit your application. Industrial rollers are typically made of aluminum or steel. Here is a guide to select what type you need:
- Aluminum Rollers: Choose aluminum rollers for lighter, easier, faster installation.
- Steel Rollers: Choose steel rollers when your application requires more durability.
- Both: Choose both if you want lighter aluminum rollers that feature durable steel endcaps by using the unique combination capabilities of inertia friction welding. This also reduces the cost by using less raw materials and only using more expensive materials in required areas.
Conveyor Roller Size
Now you need to know what size rollers to choose. You can determine the size you need by considering load and load conditions.
- Load: If your application features heavy loads, choose larger rollers that meet/exceed the load per roller.
- Loading conditions: If your application features impact loading conditions, choose larger tubing with a heavier gauge.
Load-to-Roller Contact
As a general rule, make sure that at least 3 rollers are always in contact with your load. In order to ensure this, you may need to reduce the spacing in between rollers.
Set Rollers High or Low
Depending on your application, you may need your conveyor rollers set high or low. What is the difference?:
- High Rollers: High settings place the rollers above the conveyor frame to allow for load overhang.
- Low Rollers: Low settings place the rollers below the conveyor frame to allow the frame to act as a guard. For low settings, there should be a 1” clearance on each side of the largest sized load to avoid conveyor errors.
This article comes from pierceindustries edit released